Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, on Sunday disclosed that £32,000 was being spent in the past by the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom as landing fees for private jets of former First Ladies.
Mrs. Aisha Buhari
Mrs. Buhari said this in a statement made available to journalists by her Special Assistant on Media, Adebisi Olumide-Ajayi.
She was reacting to another report by an online news portal, Sahara Reporters, accusing her of fleecing the Nigerian High Commission and abuse of privilege whenever she travels to the UK.
He said the continuous publication of what she called unfounded stories by the news portal against her was becoming a great concern.
She said the “purported internal memo within the Consulate” quoted in the news report had no direct link to her.
The President’s wife said the new accusation, had still not been able to substantiate where she made any direct contact with the mission for anything.
The statement read, “The High Commission has its internal administrative procedure, and it is not within the purview of the wife of the President to ask for diplomatic files.
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“Furthermore, that the said memo showed little or no knowledge of Her Excellency’s itinerary proves the simple fact we earlier submitted that she had no direct business with the embassy to warrant the accusation of waste or corruption insinuated in the report.
“Part of the wife of the President’s trips abroad are for her NGO, which is not funded by the Government, and It is not uncommon to have stop over in Britain like any other country as the case may be.
“According her VIP treatment is simple protocol for a personality of her status, which is done all over the world, and at no point was she offered anywhere else.
“The High Commission provided the lounge and Hajiya Buhari was not involved in the transaction.
“This is even a far cry from the £32,000 expended in the past as landing fees for private jets of former first ladies.”
Mrs. Buhari also said attending an international women function with the gvernors’ wives could not have been linked to the bogus allegation of corruption made by Sahara Reporters’ spurious headline earlier on, as these are approved trips.
She said it would be to the credit of news portal to carry out a thorough check if the so called monies (£3,500) spent for whatever reason by the High Commission has any direct link with her.
That, according to him, is responsible journalism.
